Fragrant Light....

A friend posted this capture of lamp wicks or "baatees(waatees)" as they are called. The making of these from soft cotton wool, is  often a leisure  activity of choice, for so many matriarchs, as they sit in the evening of their life,  mobilizing for thanksgiving prayers and pujas  to their family deities.

Sometimes, painful fingers, or  even a failing eye,  does not deter the artistic nurturing of these.   Perhaps it is the stotras she recites while doing these, perhaps it is magic,  , but very clearly , she doesn't need more fragrant flowers for her puja.

Even the Bappa agrees.

   

Her own have probably grown up and left the nest. But the nurturing does not cease. Excited fluffs of cotton wool, crowding on a Ganesha engraved puja plate, looking up to her hoping to get picked up. And they celebrate their selection, amidst a recited Praise to the Lord, as the gentle hands twirl amid smooth the little baatis, massaged with ghee, giving their little frocks a generous flare, so good for their time in the lights in the lamps. The Ganesha in the Puja Thali looks up and smiles at her. Years ago, he would share the lamp lit puja thali with the children on their birthdays and special days. This time, he doesn't even need any flowers. He has special ones, that light up his heart, as they sit in innocent abundance without any oil, or burning, quietly , another generation, nurtured by his devotee.

आपल्या मुली घरट्यातून पंखात शक्ती घेउन उडाल्या , तरी आईचे आईपण चालूच असते … कुणा एका लख्खं ताम्हनात गणपती बाप्पावर सगळं सोपवून आपल्या आईला शोधत घुटमळ्णार्या  वात  कन्या, तिने उचलून घेताच कानावर पडलेली बाप्पाची स्तोत्र , तिने कौतुकाने फिरवलेला  मऊ सुरकुतलेला हात, आणि थोडस तूप  हाताला लाउन, त्या हातांनी केलेलं प्रेमाचे मालीश ; एका हौशी आईने वातीच्या झग्याला पुढील आयुष्यात स्वताः च्या पायावर उभे राहता यावे म्हणून केलेली कलापूर्ण झालर…. आणि इतक्या वेळ स्वतः बसलेला बाप्पा तिच्या कडे हसून बघतो आणि म्हणतो, "कितीतरी  वर्ष दिव्या फुलांनी भरलेले ताम्हन मी  घरात्ल्या  छोट्या मंडळींबरोबर औक्षण क्षणी वाटून घेतले. आता मला आईच्या ह्या छोट्या वात्कान्यामध्ये सुंदर फुलं आणि बिना तेलाचा प्रेमाचा थंडावा देणारा हृदयात फुलणारा प्रकाश हि  मिळाला  … " आणि तरी शांतपणे स्तोत्र गुणगुणत कुणा एका आईचं पुढच्या पिढीच संगोपन अखंड चालूच रहातं …